1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical apparatus and, more particularly, to circuit interrupters having pivoted contact arms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The circuit interrupters are widely used to provide protection for electrical distribution systems against damage caused by overload current conditions. Many circuit interrupters employ pivoting arms supporting a movable contact which cooperates with another contact (either movable or stationary) to open and close an electrical circuit. The most common means of connecting the movable contact to stationary conductors connected to the breaker terminals is through the use of a flexible wire or shunt. However, these flexible shunts are subjected to much movement over the life of the circuit breaker, and are susceptible to fatigue and other types of failure. It would therefore be desirable to provide a circuit interrupter having a pivoting movable contact arm which does not require flexible shunt.